My name is Joe and I am a boxcar art fan. I no longer live about 200 feet from the Iowa Interstate railyard in Iowa City, but I bike there now as often as I can. I am documenting those that partake in the dubious act of affixing their names and likenesses to the sides of the cars that roll through town.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

RICHARD "IOWA BLACKIE" GAGECAUGHT THE WESTBOUNDTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH, 2011AT THE AGE OF 62.

I had just received a letter from him a few months ago, and a few before that I was chatting with him over dinner here in Iowa City. It's so strange that someone can be gone so quickly, but that's how he lived his life.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

I've been back in Iowa City for 6 days now. India was great, but it's good to be home. Today was the first day I got to hit the yard with a camera. There were some really cool flatbeds hanging around, and it just seemed like a very busy day in general. Actually, maybe all the activity is normal for the time I went. I've been getting up earlier, 8AM, ever since getting back from India, and I've never really been around the yard much this early. It's a habit I'm hoping to keep. Anyway, here's the pics:

Texican Gothic peeking out from between two IAIS scrap metal gondolas.

Michael Jr. on a flatbed car. I love the hints of rust forming around the remnants of the letters. May, 1987.

The Brad B. CARMASTER LivinLarge Tour. Looks like he played some awesome venues. Wish I coulda made it to that after show. June, 2008.

Job? August 23rd, 1984.

That owl and Lick Ems from 1993, 2001, and 2002. There's also an older Lick Em, brown and faded, in the middle, from some Canyon somewhere.

CDD through the ages.

Zero from 1994.

Retribalize. Preserving what culture?

Stonewall Jim in Canada, January 3rd, 2009.

Eye imposter with the weather report.

I don't know what this image/symbol is, all I know is that I've seen it before.

These next two pictures I wasn't going to post since, well, I couldn't really get good pictures or the image to pop without it looking too washed out or whatever, but I figured whatever, I'll put them up anyway.

Jesus Saves in the belly of a IAIS grainer. I've been trying to get a good picture of this for a long time now, but this will have to do until the light is right.

An old Bo Bird that almost escaped me. Very faded and poking out from behind some aerosol graffiti along the side of the car.

I guess those two don't look that bad. I have a few photo sessions left over from right before I went to India that I might pic through soon. Might not. We'll see.